Golf club



N o T R o M w. inw

GOLF CLUB Filed March 20, 1931 (kton/w114 Patented Dec. 8, 1931 rasantl JULIAN wmomeN, or LINVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA GOLF CLUB Application mea marchan, 1931. serial No. 524,103.

The invention relates to improvements in golf clubs having blades of the lofted type and more especially to niblicks or similar clubs employed for eXtricating golf balls from sand traps, soft soil, lies in rough, in

water, or other situations requiring a high trajectoryshot of comparatively short range.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary elevation of a golf club involving the invention, the blade ofthe club being shown in transverse section. Fig. 2 is a similar view illustrating the action of the club in playing the ball from a partly submerged lie.

Fig. 3 is a face view of the club head.

Fig. 4 is a rear view ofthe same.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates the shaft of the club, 2 the shank or hosel in which the end of the shaft is fitted, the hosel being formed as an integral part of the blade 3, the hosel and blade constituting the head of the club. As indicated, the blade is lofted or inclined at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the shaft is held in a substantially perpendicular plane in addressing the ball, the front face of the blade is inclined rearwardly and upwardly, lso that, when the ball is impacted by the center of the face. of the blade, it will be forced upwardly in a so-called pitch shot involving a relatively steep ,trajectory or arc of flight. Clubs of this character, of which the niblick is a typical example, are employed for pitching the ball out of sand traps, boggy lies, water hazards and lies in the rough. In playing a shot` under thevarious conditions mentioned, it is diicult to prevent the front edge of the blade'from penetrating too deeply into the sand, soft soil or water and, when such an undue penetration occurs, the stroke is faulty and fails, in most instances, to extricate the ball from the ldiiicult position in which it lies, the usual result being to jump the ball a relatively short distance, so that an additional stroke or strokes with the club are necessary to effect the extrication of the ball. j

The'object ofthe present invention isto provide the blade of a golf club of the type inshaft, so that, whenv the dicated with a wing or projection on the back' or rear face, of the blade of such a character as to prevent the blade cutting too deeply into A the surface on which the ball lies, but which will have the effect of delecting the blade of the club upwardly, upon impact with the ball, thereby forcing or pitching the ball up- Wardly in a relatively steep trajectory or line of flight toward the objective. In its preferred form, the wing orvprojection on the back or rear face of the blade takes the form of an integral Vrib 4 extending longitudinally of the back of the blade and joining the latter between the longitudinal axis and the rear edge thereof, the front face of the win curving downwardly and Aforwardly to orm a pocket. YAs shown, wing is concaved or arcuate and terminates in a hook-like lower portion 5, which, when the club is held perpendicularly with the front edge-or toe of the blade engaging. the ground, lies a short distance above the ground and is substantially paralleltherewith. The

the front face 6 of the rear surface of the wing may be finished in any desired way, but is preferably rounded 0r concaved longitudinally of the blade to i Amerge into the surface of the backthereof, ,tions of the wing are curved downwardly -to 'merge' into the back of the blade.

By reference to Fig. l, it will be seen that, when the clubis swungto engage the front edge of the blade 3 immediately between the ball and the surface on which it lies, the sand or turf, which is excised by the edge of the blade, piles up or collects in the pocket formed by the forwardly curvedv wing 4 and forms a cushion or deliecting surface, which tends to deflect the club upwardly and prevents the forward edge of the blade digging deeper into the surface, with the result that the ball is engaged by the lofted face of the club and pitched out of the sand orother di'icult lie toward` the objective. Playing a. ball from a partly submerged lie is one of the most difcultstrokes in golf, but, with a club of the character described, such a stroke may be made with ease and facility, as the pocket formed by the forwardly curved wing produces an air cushion, which prevents the blade as indicated at 7. Preferably, the end sec-I cutting too deeply into the water,'but, on the other hand, tends to lift the blade as the latter impinges by forcing the ball upward and away inthe desired steep arcuate flight toward the objective. i

` yV`Vhile the club is of special utility 1n playing the ball from sand traps, loose soil and water lies, it is also useful in playing the ball from the rough or high lgrass where the usual tendency is to drive the forward edge of the blade too deeply into the surface on which the ball lies, as, in such case, 4the lower lip of the wing engages the surface and tends to force the blade upward during the continued stroke.

While the improvement has been described with articular reference to golf clubs of the niblic type, it will be understood that it is adaptable to other clubs having lofted or inclinedvgimpact faces designed to effect a socalled pitch shot involving the driving of the ball in the desired direction with a relatively hi h trajectory or arc of flight.

What' claim is: 1. A golf club, comprising a blade of the `lofted type having a longitudinal win on its rear ace adjacent the rear edge o the blade and projecting forwardly toward thefront edge of the blade.

2. A olf club, comprising a blade having a longitu inal wing projectmg from its rear face and curved toward the vforward edge of said blade to form an open pocket facing toward said front edge.

3. A golf cl b, comprising a blade having rtudinal wing projecting from its rear along) face etweenl the rear edge and the longitudinal axis of said blade,'said wing being curved toward the front edge of the blade to form a forwardly vfacing pocket.

4. A golf club, comprising a face, the front face of said wing being concaved to form a forwardly facing pocket.

5.' A golf club, com rising a blade having a forwardlyi directed ongitudinalv wing projecting from its rear face between the rear edge and the longitudinal of said blade, the wing bein of a hei ht to just clear the ground when t e front edge of the blade rests on the ground in the normal position of the club in addressinga golf ball.

6. A gblf club, comprising a blade having a forwardly facing hook-shaped win'g projecting from its back between the rear edge andthe longitudinal axis of said blade.

In testimony whereof I aii'x m signature.

JULIAN W. ORTON.

yhe partly submerged ball, thereblade having Y a longitudinal y'wing projecting from its rear 

